Cheapest its ever been on amazon

The ESAM2800 is £224.99 (free £10 voucher) at Argos. Looking at the manufactures website, seems to be the same spec.

http://www.delonghi.com/en-gb/products/coffee/coffee-makers/automatic-coffee-makers

Looks like ESAM2800 is £214.99 at Amazon - guessing it must be a slightly different spec.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Bean-Coffee-Machine-ESAM2800/dp/B00LB8FHJ4/

​it's the same dimensions and weight, and the controls look very similar, so could be the same spec.

Great bean to cup coffee machine. I have the silver one (esam4200s) and I bought it refurbished. Still going strong, makes good espresso, cappuccino, americano etc. Main thing is you just have to property maintain it.

Is the coffee hot enough?

Seriously tempted by this...

Yes I think it's the right temperature. It shouldn't be boiling hot anyway as this kills the flavour of the beans. Apparently I did come across a cheat for this machine that allows you to adjust the temperature of the water. Just surprised it's not in the manual!

I find if you microwave the milk for a minute the coffee is perfect

Just to say some experts on here would say this was a entry level machine but for the price and the quality of coffee it makes is say different. Check the reviews out on Amazon.

Got a similar model in black...18months in and still looking and working well....paid 215

Very nice machine. Lovely coffee. Have one and can't do without it anymore. I practically stopped buying Costa and Starbucks. Hot

Does this machine have a timer for when it makes coffee? Can you use standard size mugs?

I got the silver one of these last time It was on offer and Ive used it every day since. Its very satisfying to use. I make latte's and americano's with it mostly. Top tip.... pull the plastic cappuccino wand off and just use the thin one underneath for a nicer tighter milk froth.
The hardest thing is to find a coffee that you like. Ive settled on Costco's own brand (in the red bag) Its nice and strong and a dark roast.

No, it doesnt have a timer. And even when its on max cup size it probably only half fills a mug. however, you fill the rest of the cup with either steamed milk or hot water , both using the steam/hot water wand.

It is in the manual now, though I set it to 3/4 as 4/4 tends to burn the coffee.

Yeah, it's not made of carbon fibre with a Shimano Unobtanium groupset and oxygen free speaker leads.

Very similar to the 4200 which is a highly rated machine for the price - this one lacks the fairly useless mug warmer and apparently has an inferior steam wand. Definitely measure up your worktop before buying one as they're surprisingly imposing! It will need regular descaling too, particularly if you live down south in a hard water area.

Love my bean-to-cup, definitely the best thing I've bought this year. I chose a Sage Barista as I wanted something more hands-on. Quite like Lavazza Rossa as a day-to-day bean but keen to try some more exotic varieties.

huge problem in this country - coffee shops serving black coffee at 99 degrees I assume because when they put milk in it which isn't hot enough, it drops. It should be drinkable instantly not having to wait 20 minutes. My Magnifica S model does a fine job with black coffee and milky ones too. Tip for you - use the water button to pre warm a cup if you think its too cold. And heat your milk before your make your coffee. Think this is a great price and a good brand. If you like coffee I don't know why you wouldn't have one of these instead of those god awful pod machines.

Just to say my opinion. I did try this before. I bought it for my love. She is the barist and she did try it for a week and I have to take it back. Coffee wasn't hot enough and she found other things that didn't like it. I hope that helps for someone.

I have the ESAM2800 machine. It has been back for descaling/mechanical repair, 4 times in around 15 months. It now appears to have been correctly fixed (fingers crossed).
I preheat the mugs with water boiled in a kettle.
If you want a mug full, there are two alternatives:
2 measures of weaker strength coffee in one mug, topped up with steamed milk.
1 measure of stronger strength coffee in one mug, topped up larger volume of steamed milk.

I find the opposite, espressos are not over hot, but get a cappuccino and it's like molten lava! The milk is "cooked" so long it's like UHT by the time they are finished.

When making at home rather than messing around heating milk separetly, I just heat the cups and the frothing jug by pouring in a small amount of boiling water, simply boil the kettle while the machine heats up. On my manual machine I heat the portafilter too by dipping it in, so it nothing overheats or comes out cold; the temp of the water & cups drops to about 75 or 80deg by the contact with the cold items.

No Timer

Standard size mugs are fine

How do people store there beans? I would probably take quite a few days to go through a 227g bag and i heard roasted beans deteriorate quite quickly.

I've been tempted by vacuum jars like the Osaka range, though admittedly I can't bring myself to spend the money.
A 250g bag usually lasts me a week so I'm not sure it's worth it.

The bean hopper on the machine won't be air tight anyway...

£15, not too bad because it should last a long time. Ive heard freezing is also possible, splitting the beans into small packages.

True, but it starts to add up when you start buying all the gear like coffee glasses and Monin syrups :stuck_out_tongue:
Already treated myself to chocolate cookie, vanilla, gingerbread and hazelnut...

You're right to warm the cups, I just use the water that it pumps through on start up, but you're frothing jug should start properly cold like the milk.

Best advice, get a milk thermometer which you can first use to set the espresso temperature correctly, they seem to be set low from the factory, and then use it with a stainless jug to heat the milk to the right temp, I was surprised how far out my 'feels about right' method was.

Then, get some double wall glasses in a size/style you prefer, Bodum are about the best quality wise, and it will stay plenty hot enough for ages.

It's not a cheat, it's one of the set up processes along with water hardness and is in most versions of the manuals, just missing from a few for some reason.

If I wanted to fill a flask up would I need to just make two or three cups? Or can I do it in one go?

Thanks :smiley:

I have owned one of these for four years and have done this as well, brilliant machine

TOTALLY AGREE would not be without it now.....

it can only do 2 cups max at one time

I have this machine and its one of the best things I've bought - I got a bit lucky and got a new one for £160 last year but would pay RRP to replace it! I generally make a double shot in a mug and top up with water from kettle (have a temp controlled one) for an americano and its not a million miles off my Gagia but far less effort and mess!

I wish we could somehow trial these without committing to purchase..... It's a lot of money if you don't like it!

Is this the best there is for the money? I just can't quite make the purchase. Is this better than the ESAM2800?

Thanks guys

pre heat this, pre heat that is there a coffe machine which can do all? Any deals on higher spec ones?

Slightly related. I bought the ecam25, less than half the price of the delonghi site. The water can be regulated, but it is set not to burn the coffee, as this will result in making the coffee bitter. I drink a cappuccino with 3 shots in "lovely".
The beans bought from eBay taste good. Sold in air tight bags and last well.
Take the plunge, you will not regret it if you enjoy a nice coffee!!

I bought one of these for my daughter last year. Makes excellent coffee for a bean to cup machine. I was pleasantly surprised as I'm one of those sad sods who spends a ludicrous amount of money on single origin beans and roasts them myself before using a lever machine. 90% of the experience for 10% of the outlay.

Well it appears to be a admission from earlier manuals as I'm not the only one who's had to find this out. Not a major issue for me but some people like their coffee boiling hot, not sure why as it kills the flavour. :smiley:

I keep mine in the fridge or freezer once opened and fill the hopper on my machine when needed. They seem to keep fresh for a while this way once open.

Where can I adjust the water temperature?

Amazon price tracker confirms

http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/DeLonghi-Magnifica-Coffee-Machine-Esam4000-b/product/B0036TDF6I

Brilliant machine, bought mine refurb from amazon warehouse, use multiple times daily and the temperature is perfect for me.

Totally worth the money, I'm sure there are better spec machines out there but this is good value for a decent cup of coffee.

Jordan Schlansky wouldn't approve.

Always wanted a BTC machine

If you prefer it hotter stick it in the microwave for a few seconds. Better that then setting the water temp too high and burning the beans.

If you're down South like me, bare in mind it will need descaling monthly. Also the water filter (assuming this model has one) lasts two months (or at least thats when the machine requests you change it).

Cleaning is my biggest gripe. Coffee grounds fall in the machine and the internal compartment has nooks that are hard to clean. I now have the ECAM 23.420 which is a little better in this regard, but still not perfect.

I'd advise buying from a decent retailer if possible and use a CC to purchase as a backup. Delonghi service is shockingly poor. I had problems with my original ESAM machine and they kept sending it back unrepaired and dirty :/ Fortunately John Lewis stepped up after the third time and gave me a full refund (almost two years in by that time).

Oh and I use a vacuum container to store my beans. If you're a Costco member, they usually have 1KG bags of Lavaza beans for £6-8 (depending on if they are on offer). Cheaper and better then the supermarket options and make a good staple bean IMO.

grrrr another purchase, thanks to HUKD :smiley: I did need one though, which is a good change. Usually i end up buying stuff i never thought i'd buy just cause it's a deal. This time it was a needed purchase :smiley:

You can adjust the temperature, although for some reason this feature didn't make it into the user guide. The factory default setting is 2/4, I prefer 3/4, 4/4 is too hot IMHO.

To adjust the temperature make sure the machine is off, but the rear power switch must remain on. Press and hold the single cup coffee button for 6 seconds, and wait for the leds to light up. Adjust the number between 1 and 4 by pressing the Eco button, and then press the single cup button again to store.

Once you find coffee beans that you like you need to adjust the coffee and water quantities and the grind size. It varies between coffees quite considerably. I find Lavazza Qualita Rossa beans (red bags) the easiest to play with to get consistently good coffee (latte or flat white).

I've had my machine for almost 3 years now, and I use it daily (4-5 cups of coffee each day). You need to keep it clean by rinsing/washing the infuser every couple of days and by descaling it about once every 1-2 months. Make sure you use filtered water or bottled water for best taste and to avoid scale buildup.

Overall it's a fantastic coffee machine for the money.

If using bottled water make sure it doesn't have high mineral content.

I assume this model doesnt have the filter? My first machine which looked similar didn't have the filter either.

Should pay for itself though. I throw too much decent coffee away. The air gets to it too quickly.

Back up to 339 now?

Mine came today and was broken. The top three lights were flashing (indicating it was heating up) but the heating element didn't work so just sent this back to amazon.

Replacement coming tomorrow :/ Hopefully this one works.

Nice machine, made a few crappy cups until I sat down and actually read the manual :wink: I still miss the convenience of my (broken) Krups Nespresso, but this is a step up and also probably cheaper in the long run.